Tastless TV Ads - How To Lose Your Market

I don't normally make a point of critiquing the work of others, but during yesterday's Super Bowl one ad stuck out that really rubbed me the wrong way.  The spot involved Timothy Hutton downplaying the plight of the people of Tibet in order to plug Groupon, an online coupon company that has been getting a local following.

You can watch the ad here:
 
 
And when I looked for more details about this blatant marketing misstep I came across the fact that the Super Bowl ad was actually one of three produced with similar themes. One mocking the distinction of whales, and another comparing Brazilian Rain Forest Deforestation to bikini waxing.

Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason doesn't seem to get the tastelessness in his blog response.

"Since we grew out of a collective action and philanthropy site (ThePoint.com) and ended up selling coupons, we loved the idea of poking fun at ourselves by talking about discounts as a noble cause," he wrote on the company's blog.

At SaveTheMoney.org, Groupon is fundraising for Rainforest Action Network, buildOn, and the Tibet Fund and plans to match up to $100,000 in donations to each charity. It's also soliciting contributions to Greenpeace.

But nowhere in the spots was there any information about these charities, or how someone might donate.

I truly find it hard to believe that these spots starring Hollywood Celebrities, and directed by Christopher Guest, made it past everyone's best judgment and onto such a national stage.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.